English
giggle
Giggle may come from English gig ‘to creak’.
- English1500–presentgig‘to creak’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1952giggle
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- English1500–presentgig‘to creak’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1952giggle
Earliest quotation: 1952, H. C. Casserley, Permanent Wayfarings: “My audience to this not-too-easy operation was a small…”
Formed from -le
The story
All of these words are likely onomatopoeic as well. Also compare Alemannic German Guege (‘fiddle’).
Every English word from English gig
Today it means
verb To laugh gently in a playful, nervous, or affected manner.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / English gig / giggle